Behind the scenes bust-ups are not a new phenomenon in sport. For every incident that makes its way into the public, there are countless others that never leave the dressing room. Former Kilkenny hurler Eoin Larkin has detailed one such incident which occurred in the lead-up to the 2012 All-Ireland final replay.
Cody's charges were preparing for their clash with Galway when Larkin collided with Padraig Walsh during an infamous training match.
Writing in his recently released autobiography, Camouflage, Larkin explains that things took a turn when Walsh's older brother, Tommy, jumped in.
Padraig Walsh was marking me and we got entangled at one stage and, before I knew it, we were wrestling on the ground. My helmet came off and the next thing I felt was a ferocious kick in the face which sent my head flying. It was big brother, Tommy Walsh. He could have broken my neck.
I absolutely lost the plot; just went nuts. I got off the ground and started swinging my hurl like the grim reaper wielding his scythe as the lads pulled Tommy back. Matthew Ruth might have innocently got a good belt for his troubles. Cody came in and broke it all up but I was on my way.
'Fuck this, I'm not hanging around this shit.'
Cody convinced him to hang around but as soon as the session was finished, Larkin took off. When Tommy Walsh arrived at his front door to apologise, Larkin replied 'grand,' and slammed the door in his face.
But the feud did not last long.
The following day, a phone call from Anne (Larkin's partner), A now familiar question. 'What happened to your face?'
'I told you last night, I got a belt.'
'I know you didn't. Marlis is after texting me to say Tommy gave you a boot in the face.'
'Sure how does she know?'
'Tommy told her. He feels brutal She said he was beside himself last night.'
We moved past it fairly quickly.
A few weeks later, the pair were laughing about it in the pub having secured the All-Ireland with a 3-22 to 3-11 win over the Tribesmen.
Eoin Larkin's autobiography, Camouflage, written with Pat Nolan, is available now in bookstores nationwide.
